I power washed my Holland plate the other day and it got me thinking about the engineering purpose of the grooves in the plate. So I did some internetting, and the best information I found was that grease travels into the grooves. Well, yeah, It sure does. Thanks internet. But what are the exact reasons for the grooves?
Here is what I have theorized:
1. The grooves provide a constant supply of fresh grease that is tacky enough to get pulled out of the channel as a dry portion of the trailer plate rubs across it.
2. The grooves serve as a deposit for contaminants.
If this is true, then every single YouTube instructional video on how to lube your 5th wheel is showing us how to do a half-### job. The proper method would be to:
1. Inspect the quality of the grease held in the grooves.
2. Remove heavily contaminated grease from the grooves.
3. Fill the grooves with fresh grease so its slightly higher than the plate.
4. Apply a minimal amount of grease to the flat surfaces only if necessary.
Deep Meditations on the 5th Wheel Plate.
Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by Gilbyson, Jun 16, 2026.
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I rarely greased the 5th wheel,,
, I would climb under the trailer and grease the front portion of the plate before backing under. I've seen so many times, a greased 5th wheel, with a fancy pattern, only to get scraped off backing under a wagon. I thought, why not grease the plate, and when backing under, distributes it much more evenly. Eliminates that "turd" of grease on the 5th wheel plate,,
Star Rider and mitrucker Thank this. -
Ddh77777, wulfman75, Carpenter Scotty and 4 others Thank this.
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